The nation's top recruit overall has played the recruiting game pretty close to the vest so far and will withdraw from most media opportunities as the season begins. He has apparently cut his list down to five schools and took unofficial visits to schools such as Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama and Texas this summer. The one thing to keep an eye on with Green-Beckham (besides how he dominates defensive backs in high school this season) is where he takes his official visits to. Look for a commitment after the season.

2. Noah Spence

The number four overall recruit, and top defensive lineman, has narrowed his list of schools down to seven and probably won't make a decision until right before (or on) Signing Day. His dad played at one of his finalists, N.C. State, so they are a dark horse in a group of powers like Penn State, Florida, Notre Dame and USC. Maryland and North Carolina both have gone through coaching changes which could have an impact but look for an official to either ot them. After racking up 22 sacks last season, you can also keep an eye on if he gets in the backfield even more too.

3. Ellis McCarthy

There's big defensive tackles and there's McCarthy, who is big, quick and really, really good. From a lot of indications, it appears the seventh overall will state in-state given the frequent unofficial visits to Cal, USC and UCLA. He took in the Bruins scrimmage over the weekend and has shown up at USC several times during the spring. He's been pretty adamant that he'll make a decision on Signing Day so it wouldn't be surprising if he takes all five official visits.

4. Barry Sanders Jr.

You were probably already keeping tabs of Sanders Jr. because of his last name but he's someone to keep an eye on considering he's a top 10 recruit. He's been all over the map on the recruiting trail however, taking plenty of unofficials over the past few months and having a somewhat fluid top group of schools. He has apparently narrowed it down to Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma State and Stanford. There could be a school (Notre Dame? UCLA?) that also sneaks onto the list. It will be a circus wherever he takes an official visit so it probably won't be hard to watch Sanders' recruitment from afar this year.

5. Rushel Shell

Another player who you didn't hear much about this summer, Shell begins the season with plenty of hype and the skills to back it up. Because he didn't really go to any camps, the first month of the season will be the first chance to see if he's improved any since last year. He hasn't talked about recruiting hardly at all, leaving most of the media to talk to his head coach. Alabama and local schools Pitt and Penn State are somewhere on his list and likely will remain there until he makes his decision after the season.

6. Andrus Peat

A five-star who is part of a strong group of linemen out West, Peat will likely be playing college football out-of-state. His brother Todd is at Nebraska and the Huskers will be a player until the end for the younger and more talented of the two brothers. He's taken unofficials to Florida State, Texas, Notre Dame and Michigan and that group of schools will likely get an official visit during the season as well. Longhorn commit Connor Brewer, from just down the road in the Phoenix area, has been doing his best talking about what Texas has to offer him too.

7. Zach Banner

While Peat is likely headed East, Banner is likely staying out West. He's narrowed down his list to 10 and will cut it again shortly. Florida State, Oklahoma, Alabama, Michigan and Notre Dame are some of the non-Pac-12 options for the mammoth offensive tackle but it's likely that Cal, Washington, Oregon and USC all will be in-line for an offical visit when the time comes. Expect a decision before Signing Day in late January.

8. Nelson Agholor

It's like pulling teeth to get Agholor to even name a school but it appears there might be some movement on that front soon. He's said he cut list down but isn't naming schools until discussing things with his coach and his mother, who has been out of the country for some time. The Florida schools will be major players but several indications are that USC is also a strong out-of-state contender. It will certainly be interesting to see where Agholor goes on official visits but don't hold your breath waiting on a decision before Signing Day.

9. Keith Marshall

There's plenty of rumors surrounding the all-purpose back, who hasn't come out with a set list of schools and stuck with them. He has scheduled three official visits to Georgia, Notre Dame and Florida and it looks like those three are his leaders but there are several other schools fighting for an offical and he seems to be pretty open at this point.

10. Robert Nkemdiche

The only junior to make this list does so for a reason. Likely the number one overall recruit for the class of 2013, he already has offers from Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and others. There's very few players coming out of high school who have pass rush skills as polished as Nkemdiche. He will take several unofficial visits this year and will likely see his brother at Ole Miss for sure. It's a long time before he'll sign but it will still be interesting to see how the nation's top junior handles the increased attention this year.

We're right about halfway to Signing Day and that means it is time to take a look at the Big 12 and see how the conference is shaping up on the recruiting trail. Here's a few accolades for a few of the programs who are making head way (or not) at this point in August.

It's no surprise to see the Longhorns occupying the top spot in recruiting at this point in the year as they've once again jumped out and grabbed a number of top in-state commitments. They've nabbed the best running back in the state for the second year in a row in Johnathan Gray and the top receiver as well in Cayleb Jones. There's a lot of depth at multiple positions and it wouldn't surprise anyone if a number of players can make an early impact once they get to Austin.

Work left to do: Kansas

The Jayhawks obviously are not going to be like a Texas or an Oklahoma and get a ton of quality commitments early on but it still seems like the program is a bit behind their peers. They have one of the smallest classes in the country to begin with and that includes two players who are quarterbacks. Things will likely pick up once the season gets going but there's a lot of work left to do.

Under the radar class: Oklahoma

The Sooners won't take a full class based on their scholarship numbers but they've assembled a good group so far. It doesn't have the flash as their Red River rivals but it fills needs and brings in quality players. They've gone all over the country and have simply added a lot of good athletes that should develop into quality players down the road. For being a top 15 class, they are not really talked about like they should but Bob Stoops is doing a really great job this year.

Fence builders: Baylor and Texas Tech, all of the schools' commitments are from Texas.

Road to Signing Day storyline: Will Texas finish on top?

There's no doubt that year-in and year-out, Texas is in the top 10 nationally when Mr. February himself, Mack Brown, has been directing things down on the 40 acres. After a season in which everything that could have gone wrong did, it's remarkable for the Longhorns to be sitting at the halfway point with the number two class in the country. They're still in the running for some other top prospects, such as offensive lineman Andrus Peat, so there's still a very good chance the program could finish with the best class come Signing Day.

MALIBU, Calif. -- As if the picturesque Pepperdine campus was not enough for the Elite 11 campers, the competition literally moved within steps of the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday as 24 of the top quarterbacks in the country were put through two workouts and the first 7-on-7 drills of the five-day long process to determine the best high school quarterback in the country.

For Scottsdale (Ariz.) five-star Connor Brewer, the Elite 11 was yet another stop on the busy summer camp schedule and one, when he stopped to think about it, that was among the best he's attended.

"A couple of weeks ago I was at The Opening and played with the best athletes, and here I'm playing with the best quarterbacks in the nation," Brewer said. "It's a couple of great camps in a row. This one is really special for me."

In addition to a slight location change to a nearby off-campus field, there were several notable differences between Wednesday's workouts and the previous two days of competition.

"The main difference today was we woke up and Coach (Trent) Dilfer told us we were ranked 1-24 based on how we preformed," Brewer said. "Luckily I was No. 5, tied with Gunner Kiel. That's not fine for me, I definitely want to be that No. 1. It's something to keep working towards.

"The 7-on-7 drills, it got a little hectic. It got better as it went on but it's a fun day."

Brewer has been sharp but has struggled at times to be consistent with his accuracy on intermediate to deep throws. Looking to move from fifth up to first by the end of camp, Brewer has already identified a few areas he will work on the final two days in hopes of ascending to the top spot.

"I think I need to participate more in film sessions, answer more questions and definitely start picking their brain," he said. "I also need to start making some of the deep passes. I just have to keep up the hard work and keep competing with all these guys."

Although the Texas commit's recruitment has been shut down for some time, that hasn't stopped the Longhorns' first class of 2012 commitment from recruiting others. One of his top targets has been fellow Arizonan and offensive tackle Andrus Peat.

"I think in about a week he's visiting Texas," Brewer said. "He was going to go on the 23rd then he changed it to the 25th so I was going to make it up with him but our school camp was at that time. But he's going up there and it's going to be a lot of fun for him, I know he's going to love it and I'm excited for him to see Texas.

"I know he can get in there and play at an early stage, which is big for him. Everybody we have committed, all the guys we've got, he would fit in perfectly. His personality, he's a great kid. Coach (Mack) Brown recruits only the best kids. He's been talking to some of our recruits and I think just getting that familiarity with everybody is going to help him."

Peat isn't the only high-profile target Brewer has his sights on, as he thinks another out-of-state player would look pretty good in burnt orange on Signing Day

"Nelson Agholor, I'm trying to get him," Brewer said. "Whether he's playing safety or wide receiver, he can do it all. We'll see how that works out."

There's been plenty of talk about TheLonghorn Network recently, and as one of the first commits that will see the channel on the air, the out-of-state player is looking forward to the opportunity for the school.

"It's really exciting to know that everyday there's going to be a whole ESPN channel just for you and your team," he said. "It's going to be sweet and a lot of publicity obviously. It could be good and could be bad sometimes but I think it's going to be pretty awesome.

"I've heard that they are going to find a (high school football) game, probably do it on one of our games. It's going to be fun. I definitely want to be in a broadcast, that's awesome. I'm excited to go compete, especially on that network and that stage."

Many people have talked about the recruiting advantage Texas will have with a channel dedicated to them. Brewer was quick to point out that the coaching staff never promised he'd be on the network in exchange for his verbal pledge to the school.

"No they never said that," he said. "Just kind of once it came along, obviously the first commit, the quarterback commit, that kind of started coming up. That's just kind of how it went on. The coaches really never said anything to me but if they did, I would have liked that."

Kelly fitting right in - as himself

If there was one person who truly, truly appreciated the temperate climate in Southern California this week, it was Buffalo (N.Y.) signal-caller Chad Kelly. Despite a little fog from the marine layer in the morning session, the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder had no problems enjoying himself tossing the football around Wednesday.

"This is great, to be out in Malibu, you don't see weather like this in Buffalo," Kelly said. "It's just great to be out here with all these quarterbacks, you've talked with some of them before but now to be playing football with them, it's just great."

Like many of his fellow quarterbacks looking to make the jump from high school to the college after this upcoming season, the chance to pick up on certain things that their high-school coaches aren't teaching has been a big takeaway from the event.

"Just the progressions, PSLs, pure progression stuff, that's big time," Kelly said. "Coming from someone like Coach Dilfer, that's key. Being in high school and playing against teams that are good, that will come in handy, and against teams that are bad, that just means putting up more points. It's excellent just learning out here."

As the nephew of Hall-of-Famer Jim Kelly, the young quarterback has always avoided treading too much on his uncle's legacy and is determined to make sure he's on his own path to success -- hopefully, with nobody even knowing about the connection between the two.

"I try not to think about it, but it's always in the back of your mind," he said. "He's one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, ever, in the NFL. You try not to think about (the comparison). I don't tell people, I'd rather nobody know. All these quarterbacks out here, I doubt half of them even know who he is or know I'm related to him. I really just try to play it off and be me as much as I can."

Committed to Clemson since the middle of June, Kelly is part of another very good recruiting class for Dabo Swinney and the Tigers. After a few unofficial visits down South, he found the Clemson program was simply the fit for him.

"Everything. From the stadium to the people to the coaching staff," he said. "Everybody is passionate about football, they want their people to graduate, they want them to be good people in society. There's so much that went into it and I knew right from the start when I got there that it was the right place."

Recently hired from Tulsa, new Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris is a big factor in Kelly choosing the school, and the pair have become close despite not knowing each other for that long.

"We talk all the time," he said. "He's always messaging me on Facebook. He's awesome and everybody there is, too. He's new but the offense that they run is perfect for me, I run it in high school. It's going to be a lot of fun."

The good-natured Kelly has no problem representing his school, having shaved the Tigers logo into his head a few weeks ago at The Opening and reminding fellow Elite 11 camper and Auburn commit Zeke Pike who would win the game between the two schools this upcoming season.

"Clemson," Kelly says with a smile. "For sure. With the athletes they've got this year… it's going to be fun watching them, it's going to be a show."

Voytik down to two

The Elite 11 isn't just about the players who reside in recruiting services' top 100 lists; it's also a chance for some lesser-known prospects to get their chance to prove themselves on a national stage. Cleveland (Tenn.) quarterback Chad Voytik has been a bit under the radar to some fans, but the talented player has proved he belongs over the past few days at the competition.

"I came out strong and I felt like I built on that," Voytik said. "There’s a lot of good quarterbacks out here so I’m really trying to focus on my self and not worry about the other guys. Of course I want to compete and know what I’m up against, but I’m going to stick to what I know and who I am."

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound signal-caller has one of the strongest arms at the camp and a compact throwing motion that can really deliver the ball quickly.

“I feel like I’m right at the top with my accuracy and arm strength. I think I'm with the best guys out here," he said. "I know I’m not the tallest, but I feel like I make up for it with my intangibles.”

Voytik holds scholarship offers from several schools in the South but has narrowed his recruiting options to two schools as he looks to make a decision soon, possibly after the Elite 11 is over.

“It’s Pitt and Vandy," Voytik said. "I’m down to those two schools for the most part. I really like Pitt right now. They’re probably the leader. But Vandy’s close behind.”

New Panthers coach Todd Graham has not been afraid to expand the program's recruiting to grab quality prospects such as Voytik. On the quarterback's end, the school has plenty of things going for it as he looks at the positives and negatives of each option.

“It’s just the fit, the coaching staff and the kind of offense they run,” he said. “They opportunity (to play early) is the main factor. I’ve been there twice, and I loved it when I was up there.”

In-state program Vanderbilt has built some momentum on the recruiting trail with a string of quality commitments recently, and that is certainly something working in the school's favor.

“They’re getting some great recruits,” Voytik said. “They’ve got a bunch of Tennessee kids like (running back Brian) Kimbrow. That’s a good program, I feel like they’re on the rise. It may be a year or two, but I feel like they’re going to turn things around and it’s a good school.”

Based on all indications however, it looks like the Tennessee native will head to the northeast to play his college ball.

Oregon offensive lineman Nick Cody (who's a journalism major by the way) helped put together this video about recruiting services to examine if high school players gain exposure from them or are being exposed:

Father's Day is coming up on June 19 and in anticipation, CBSSports.com has declared it to be"Dad Week" on the site. Join us over the next few days as we take a look at some of the fatherly influence seen throughout the sporting world.

One place where dads are seemingly an omnipotent presence is in football recruiting. Plenty of players are sons of coaches, some have their dad at every camp they go to and a surprisingly large number of players let their father handle every detail of their recruitment. The class of 2012 in particular has quite a few players who have famous fathers and also happen to be top 100-level recruits. Here's five players who have the bloodlines but are making a name for themselves on the gridiron.

Father: Todd Peat Sr. was an offensive lineman at Northern Illinois and had a six-year NFL career with the Cardinals and Raiders.

The younger Peat is ranked 17th overall in the MaxPreps Top 100 and holds well over 40 offers from just about every powerhouse in the country. He might be one of the players best prepared for the next level after receiving coaching from his father and having to play against his brother - Todd Jr., who signed with Nebraska in 2011 - on a daily basis over the past few years. Andrus recently visited Michigan and Notre Dame unofficially and is expected to narrow down his list of schools shortly.

Father: Todd Kalis, who played his college ball for John Cooper at Arizona State and lead the Sun Devils to the Rose Bowl in his three years as a starter. He played 103 games in the NFL over eight years for the Vikings, Steelers and Bengals.

Kyle was an early commitment to the Buckeyes and once Jim Tressel resigned, thought about decommitting. A phone call from interim head coach Luke Fickell convinced him to remain committed and he's really the foundation their class of 2012 is built on. Ranked 61st overall in the MaxPreps Top 100, he is the third best player from the talent-producing state of Ohio. The younger Kalis can play either tackle or guard, which his father excelled at in college.

Father: Mario Edwards Sr. was a six-year NFL veteran and known mostly for his time with the Dallas Cowboys. The cornerback was also part of some successful Florida State teams in the late 90s but had his career hurt by injuries.

Edwards Jr. is physically not a whole lot like his father at 6-foot-4, 280 pounds. As big as a defensive tackle but with speed and moves like a defensive end, he is the top defensive end in the country and ranked fifth overall by MaxPreps. Edwards is literally following in his father's footsteps, though, after making a solid committment to Jimbo Fisher and the Seminoles earlier this year.

Father: Deion Sanders needs no introduction but the NFL Hall of Famer would probably want one anyway. One of the great athletes of his time, Sanders played in the NFL for 16 years, most notably with the Cowboys and Falcons. "Prime Time" also played baseball for four teams and is the only man to play in both the World Series and the Super Bowl.

Neon Deion's son is not as highly recruited as some of the others on this list but he's quite the playmaker for his high school team. With the same blazing speed as the elder Sanders, Deion Jr. is a wildcat quarterback/wide receiver and a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. His height might keep him from playing major college football (he's 5-foot-7) but he already has an offer from Houston and will likely pick up a few more with a strong senior campaign.

Father: NFL Hall of Famer and one of the greatest running backs ever, Barry Sanders Sr. was a 10 time All-Pro and won the Heisman Trophy in 1988. He played his entire career with the Detroit Lions after they took him with the No. 3 overall pick.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound prep running back has film that is simlar to his father (but is much, much clearer thanks to modern technology). A shifty back who can make cuts at full speed, the younger Sanders has plenty of potential at the college level. Holding offers from Alabama, Auburn and Florida State among others, it looks like he will go out-of-state and not head to his father's alma mater of Oklahoma State despite the Cowboys recruiting him heavily.

One name that might ring a bell in the class of 2013 is Ray Lewis III, son of the Ravens linebacker with the same name. He's a running back who put on an impressive showing last season when he racked up 504 total yards and two touchdowns in a big win.

Check out some highlights of Barry Sanders Jr. (above) and his father (below) and see how they compare:

Tom Lemming's Top 100 for 2012 List was released this week and it has some of the most talented recruits in the country for the upcoming class. In an ongoing series, we'll take a look at who they have offers from and who might be the leader for their commitment.

It was no surprise to see Springfield (Mo.) wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham top the initial Tom Lemming Top 100 for 2012. After all, the talented athlete was the first sophomore to ever win the MaxPreps National Athlete of the Year award and he might have his own page in the state record books by the time he is finished.

The 6-foot-6, 220 pound Green-Beckham has some of the most impressive game film for a wide receiver in years and there was no doubt who Lemming thought was the best player in the class of 2012.

"He's got everything," Lemming said. "Height, super long arms, leaping ability, speed, and most of all, production. He's the best high school wide receiver since Randy Moss."

That's high praise for someone who hasn't even played their senior year of high school but Green-Beckham's impressive numbers back up the ranking. As a sophomore he caught 66 passes for 1,616 yards and 23 touchdowns and topped those numbers as a junior with 70 catches for 1,706 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Green-Beckham is also a talented athlete on the track and the court, leading his team to a state title in both sports. The big receiver is far and away the best player at his school in football and still puts up eye-popping numbers despite being double and sometimes even triple-teamed.

Holding scholarship offers from just about every school in the country, it's safe to say that Green-Beckham is drawing even more attention than last year's number one overall player Jadeveon Clowney. Although Big 12 schools close to home figure to play a key role in the recruiting process, top flight competition in the South is very intriguing to the talented wide receiver.

"A lot of the schools he has interest in are in the SEC," John Beckham, Green-Beckham's adopted father and high school coach told MaxPreps. "That seems to be where there are more schools that he's interested in."

The recruiting plans of the nation's number one player may be pushed back a bit however, as Green-Beckham deals with his brother Darnell, who was recently diagnosed with Leukemia.

Despite the tragic news, the nation's top player will look to fight through the difficult situation and aim for an even more impressive senior campaign. No matter what though, expect to know the name Dorial Green-Beckham very well by the time Signing Day rolls around.

Kiel number two, several others in contention for top QB spot

After two down years at the quarterback position, the class of 2012 looks to be one of the stronger groups to come out of high school in the past few years. Columbus (Ind.) signal caller Gunner Kiel tops the position group rankings and slides in behind Green-Beckham as the number two overall player in Lemming's rankings.

The 6-foot-4, 220 pound Kiel is the nephew of former Notre Dame quarterback Blair Kiel and his family is no stranger to the recruiting process with two brothers having gone through it. Brother Dusty is a quarterback at Indiana and his other brother, Drew, plays the same position at Illinois State. All three brothers might be quarterbacks but it's Blair who stands out as the most talented.

"He seems to have everything," Lemming said. "He's got great size, has the arm and all the intangibles to become a great college quarterback."

Kiel looks like a polished product on film and he has coaches from across the country salivating over the possibility of landing him. Notre Dame and Indiana are two schools that are recruiting him heavily that are close to home but Oklahoma, Missouri and Alabama are pursuing Kiel with all they've got. He recently took an unofficial visit to Tuscaloosa to see the Crimson Tide and figures to make several other visits to schools this summer.

Scottsdale (Ariz.) quarterback and Texas commit Connor Brewer, Edgewood (Ky.) quarterback Zeke Pike and Plant City (Fla.) standout Bennie Coney are just a few of the other quarterbacks nationally that add to a very good position group this year.

Good year along the offensive line

One of the best position groups in the country top to bottom in the Lemming Top 100 is the offensive linemen. Jacksonville (Fla.) tackle John Theus is the number six overall player and is just one of several players 6-foot-6 or taller that college coaches hope will be their left tackle of the future.

Four offensive lineman are in the top 20, including Tempe (Ariz.) tackle Andrus Peat, Charlotte (N.C.) lineman D.J. Humphries and Lakewood (Wash.) tackle Zach Banner. The West in particular has an especially good and deep group of lineman this year. If you consider, as many do, Elk Grove (Calif.) lineman Arik Armstead an offensive tackle instead of a defensive tackle, he might just be in contention for the number one overall ranking.

Florida leads the way, Texas not far behind

It's no surprise but once again Florida, Texas and California are well represented in the initial top 100. Florida has 16 players on the list, led by Theus and Tallahassee (Fla.) defensive back Travis Blanks.

Texas has 10 athletes on the list but staggeringly has three of the top 10, the only state with multiple players among the elite of the elite. Georgia continues to churn out quality Division I talent and this year is no different as eight players from the Peach State made the list. California also had eight players make the cut with several quality players just missing out.

School-wise, the Texas Longhorns are well represented on the Top 100 as usual. Wide receiver commit Cayleb Jones is the number three recruit overall and quarterback Connor Brewer is 28th overall. Offensive lineman Curtis Riser out of DeSoto (Texas) is 79th. Lane Kiffin continues to recruit well at USC, landing verbal commitments from Armstead and Westlake Village (Calif.) receiver Jordan Payton.

Florida State looks well on their way to putting together another top five class in 2012 with commitments from Denton (Texas) defensive end and number five player overall Mario Edwards, 29th ranked defensive end Dante Fowler and the last player to make the list, Cape Coral (Fla.) running back Mario Pender who checks in at number 100.